Portable tank.



J. B. BARTHOLOMEW.

PORTABLE TANK.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-14, 1901. RENEWED JAN. 2!,1911.

1 ,137,733. Patented May 4, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTG-LIIHU.. WASHINGIONv D. c.

J. B. BARTHOLOMEW.

PORTABLE TANK.

APPLICATION men OCT. 14. 1901. 'ngugwgp JAN, 9%

1,137,733. Patented May 4, 1915.

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STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

JOHN B. BAR'IHOLOMEW, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, 'I'O AVERY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PORTABLE TANK.

Application filed October 14, 1907, Serial No. 397,307. Renewed January21, 1911. Serial No. 603,954.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN B. BARTI Iono- MEW,citizen of the United States, residing at Peoria, in the county ofPeoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Portable Tanks, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.I

My invention relates to vehicles of the class characterized by this thateach comprises a comparatively large water tank and means for mountingand transporting it.

Among the several objects aimed at are these: To provide metallic axleframes and mountings for such a tank vehicle; to so construct andarrange the partsof the-axle frames that they shall be strong but lightand capable of having the tank bound firmly to them; and to so shape andrelate the several parts of the structure, as an entirety, that when thevehicle is to be shipped or transported, otherwise than upon its ownwheels, the component parts can be crated or packed in compact or secureform for such shipment.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tank vehicle embodying myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the draft shafts onan enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the vehicle. Fig. 1 isa front elevation. I

1 is the tank proper provided with the usual front head 2' and rear head3, the latter being removably secured to the barrel for a purpose to behereinafter referred to. The usual seat 4, foot boards 5 and 6, sideboards 7 and filling opening 8 may also be provided.

I provide a steel frame work for the tank as follows: 9, 9 indicateangle bars arranged longitudinally of the vehicle and having their upperedges fitted snugly to the lower portion of the tank. At the forwardends they rest upon and are bolted to short transverse angle bars 15,15. At their rear ends they are supported upon a rear wheels 12, 12.These blocks are formed with grooves or flanged edges at the top andbottom. 25 is a steel bar, the ends of which are placed on the top of,and in the top grooves in, the carrier blocks 11, 11. This bar is bentto have the inclined parts 25 Patented May 4, 1915.

and the central horizontal part 25 the latter being situated nearly inthe horizontal planes of the bottom edges of the carrierblocks 11, 11.26 is a straight horizontal steel bar which, at its central part, isrigidly connected to the lowered central part 25 of the upper axle bar,this part 26, at its ends, being fitted into the grooves in the loweredges of the carrier blocks 11, 11. 27 is a steel bar which is shaped tobe approximately parallel to the bar 25, having downwardly inclinedparts 27 and a central lower part 27*. The central part of the bar 27 isspaced from the central parts of the bars 25 and 26 by tubular posts 28and the three bars are at their centers firmly bound together by bolts29. It will be seen that a very light but exceedingly strong truss axleis thus provided for the rear part of the tank. The rear ends of thelongitudinal sill bars 9 rest upon the tie-bar 26. The forwardcross-bars 15, above referred to, are joined by two truss bars 20.Midway of the cross-bars 15, there is a cross-plate 0r carrier block 29which at the center is curved to conform to the tank, as at 29. At theends it is formed with ears 29 at the top, and at the bottom has feet orpedestals 29. These pedestals rest upon, and are secured to, the upperring element 16 of a fifth wheel structure. The side bars9 and the ringelement 16 are spaced apart by A i tubular posts 80, but at the sametime are firmly clamped together by means of bolts passing through theposts,

The framework just described restsupon ing the top or upper element 19,the intermediate or inclined element-19 and the bottom element 19 Withthese there are combined the vertical posts 35 and 36 which space thehorizontal elements from each other and form a rigid truss structure. 38is the lower ring of the fifth wheel element and is supported upon thefront axle, proper, just described. The front and rear parts of the ringare carried by abent brace bar 32, which at the center is secured to thetie-bar 19 of the truss axle.

The lower middle part of the carrier block 29 rests upon the front axleand the parts maybe held in vertical alinement by any suitable means forperforming the function of a king bolt. The front axle is well supportedor braced in its swinging movement by the wide fifth wheel structure.The front part of the tank is firmly bound to the upper part of thefifth wheel by means of the flexible. steel band 17 and the bindingbolts and nuts at 18. The rear part'of the tank is securely clamped inposition on the rear axle by means ofthe band 13 and the brace 14:. Theband 13 is brought down at its ends vertically and is bolted to theupper edge or face of the carrier blocks 11; the brace. 14 being securedto the blocks at points farther out and extending outward at aninclination, the upper ends being fastened to the band.

While the rear wheels are made exceedingly high, the center of gravityof the load more, the mounting of the tank at about the is keptrelatively low by use of the trussed rear axle having its 'middle partconsiderably depressed, the upper or bolster part of the fifth wheelstructure being made rather high so as to support the front end of thetank at the same elevation as its rear end. The rear axle structuremight conceivably be dropped still lower in its middle part so as tobring the tank lower, but I prefer the construction and relativeproportions shown, because a rear axle, having its middle part depressedabout. as much as shown in the drawings, can have a construction that isat once simple and strong, and, at the same time, the front bolsterstructure need not be made unduly high. Furtherelevation shown makes itpossible to swing the front wheels freely under the tank body.

To the front axle are connected shafts such as shown at 23, preferablyshorter than the tank and adapted for the attachment of a single horse.Each shaft is, however, provided with one or more hitching rings 24 tofacilitate the hitching of additional.

horses. And similar rings are secured to other points of the mounting,as at the axle tips, for a like purpose. In new and comparativelyundeveloped countries, the roads are apt to contain ruts," sloughs, andother places of difficult passage. The high, broadtired wheelswhich Iprovide and which I arrange near the center of gravity of the tank sothat they carry the greater portion of the load, permit easy passageover such spots, while the plurality of hitching rings provide for theready temporary attachment of additional horses.

The structure, as an entirety, can be readily and rapidly taken apart,the tank can be freed entirely from the supporting framework andremoved. When the parts are made in the way shown in the drawings,

the rear wheels 12 have a diameter substantially. twice that of thetank. The front wheels 22 are of such diameter that the front axle canbe readily turned so as to bring these wheels under the tank, permittingturning on very short curve, and, moreover, the front wheels can, whenremoved, be easily placed in the interior of the tank. The otherparts,such as the side angle bars 9, 9, the upper frame of the fifth wheel,the

rear axle, and the tongue or draft shaft, can be readily detached andplaced within the tank. Structures of this class are now shipped longdistances, not only from one point to another in this country, but fromthis country to'different parts of the world. When they are made in theway described, the entire vehicle'can be transported as two packages,one comprising the rear wheels and the other comprising the tank, andall 7 1. In a portable tank, the combination of a front axle, a rearaxle, frame parts connecting said axles, said axles and frame partsbeing detachably secured together, front and rear wheels on said axles,respectively, and a tank part proper detachably mounted on the axles andframe parts, one of the heads of said tank being removable, and the saidaxles, frame parts and front wheels, when disassembled, being soproportioned with respect to the tank that all of the said parts can becrated within it.

2. Ina portable tank, the combination of a tank part proper having oneof its heads removable, front and rear axles, a frame connecting theaxles, wheels on the front axle of relatively small diameter, and wide Itiredwheels on the rear axle having a diame eter approximately twicethat of the tank zontal cylindrical tank, the rear axle upon which thetank is supported, the large wheels on the rear axle having a diameterapproxithe front wheels at an elevation such that mately twice that ofthe tank, the front the wheels can be turned under it. 10 wheels havinga diameter hall that of the In testimony whereof I aifix my signature,rear wheels and less than the diameter of in presence of two witnesses.

the tank so as to be adapted to be placed JOHN B. BARTHOLOMEW. thereinwhen detached, and means compris- Witnesses:

ing a fifth wheel structure and a front axle A. L. GREGORY,

for supporting the front end of the tank on 7 G. W. BERRY, Jr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

